Armed Wisconsin Homeowner Catches Suspect Fleeing State Troopers

Unlike what Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn thinks Wisconsin gun owners are doing to contribute to crime in the state of Wisconsin, here’s a great example of what they’re really doing!

When Wisconsin State Patrol stopped a car just south of Eau Claire in I-94 early Tuesday morning, it was anything but a routine stop. Captain Gerald Voight said the officer could smell marijuana in the man’s vehicle, and while talking with the driver, he shoved the trooper and took off on foot.

The suspect fled on foot toward a road near the interstate and headed toward a nearby farm. From there, he stole a vehicle and drove off with troopers in pursuit.

As Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Department deputies joined in the chase, the suspect crashed in front of a home.

And that’s where Josh Mass took matters into his own hands – literally. The armed homeowner held the suspect at gunpoint with his hunting rifle until officers could take him into custody.

“I hear a big crash and it almost sounded like a tree fell down on the sheds,” he said. “So, I popped out and looked out the window. See a cop car go flying by. Next thing you know, a guy’s coming out of the ditch running towards the house. So, I yell out the window, grabbed the gun, come out the door and confront him right there.”

“When I see a guy with no shirt and one shoe flying up out of the ditch, it’s usually 99 percent of the time, not a good deal.”

Voight said Mass’s actions are not necessarily the advised form of action to take when approached with a situation like the one presented Tuesday morning.

“You don’t know what’s coming out of that car,” he said. “This was obviously an individual that wanted to do whatever it needed to do to get away. Sometimes, they can get caught and backed into a corner and you never know what can happen.

The suspect was arrested Eau Claire County Sheriffs and was briefly taken to a local medical facility to be treated for injuries, but was then sent to the county jail.

As for Maas, he was not cited for using his rifle as he did … And everyone in his home was safe.

Born and raised in northern rural Wisconsin, she is an avid outdoors woman, target and skeet shooter, Second Amendment supporter and defender, concealed carry advocate, NRA member and frequent guest on the NRATV News programs Cam&Co and CNLive.
Jenn is a wife and mother, former private detective, active in WI politics, and an outspoken conservative gun owner. Her personal blog can be found on jennjacques.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @JennJacques.